It’s a common myth that in order to burn fat, you need to be slogging away on the treadmill tediously! This is simply untrue. Any form of exercise will burn fat to some degree…however, certain styles of training can be much more effective! Lifting weights builds strength, developing muscle tissue…muscle requires energy…more muscle= more energy being burnt at rest! Increasing your metabolic rate (how much energy your body burns).
Exercise, particularly weight training, promotes the release of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are neurotransmitters which help to reduce pain, increase alertness, boost mood and positive feelings associated with a sense of heightened wellbeing and reduce negative feelings of stress & anxiety.
Interestingly, exercise has been shown to be as effective as anti-depression medications at reducing depression in people.
That is SURELY a major reason to get off the couch and get down to your local gym!
Unfortunately, there seems to be a common misconception, that weight training will make you bulky?…This, fortunately, is not accurate, let me explain why……
Most strength gains are achieved due to neurological adaptations in the body…not as a result of building more muscle. Neurological adaptations refer to changes in signalling pathways between the central nervous system (the control centre of the body) and muscle tissue. Basically, the brain and working muscle communicate more effectively, resulting in improvements in strength. Additionally, compared to men, women have far less circulating testosterone, the hormone responsible for muscle growth, at approximately 1/8th in comparison.
YOU need not worry, START lifting weights NOW to make your body and mind strong!
If your plan is to have a sexy beach body for your next trip to the med you need to be hitting the weights! Lifting tones and develops the muscles giving you that defined, athletic shape you desire!
Generally, strengthening the back, lower back, shoulders and core muscles will give you a taller, more upright stance with a straight spine and shoulders back. Strong muscles supporting the joints= a strong structure.
If you have any major postural imbalances already, an appropriate weight training routine targeting the relevant muscles should be coupled with an appropriate stretching routine to correct postural imbalances.
Who really enjoys slogging it out on a treadmill or bike for 45 minutes?…Staring into space! Lifting weights gives you endless exercises and combinations you can perform. You will NEVER get bored! Train with a friend and motivate each other as you go!
Mechanical stress to the body aka lifting weights initiates a multitude of beneficial physiological adaptations. Firstly, its positive effect on the skeleton and its ability to trigger increased storage of minerals in our bones which protect against loss of bone mineral density (BMD) known as Osteoporosis. A reduction in BMD is typically observed in ageing populations, particularly in sedentary individuals. Lifting weights can protect against BMD degeneration or even reverse the effects if you’re already in your later years!
As well as degeneration of bone tissue, with age the body tends to lose muscle tissue too, weaker muscles = less strength to support your joints making you more vulnerable to injury.
START LIFTING TODAY!
Yours in empowerment,
TheLakesCoach